How To Get Back From Google What Google Gets Paid To Keep From You

Think about what Google has done for modern personal computer users, smartphone and tablet owners.

Low prices. Google-powered Chromebooks cost a few hundred dollars. Android-based smartphones and tablets are priced far lower than similar products from Apple. What does Google get for fomenting low priced products upon the masses. You. You’re the product. Here’s how to get some of you back from Google.

To Gmail Or Not To Gmail

What most people don’t understand about Google and what Microsoft’s ‘Scroogled’ television commercials attempt to explain, is that you and your data are the products that Google uses to make money.

Gmail? It’s free, right? Not so fast. Gmail may be free to use, but Google has the rights to view your messages, gather information about you, use that data to target ads in your face, and sell the data to advertisers.

Can you get your Gmail back? Yes. There’s a neat Mac app called Backup Gmail which, well, it backs up your Gmail email to your Mac.

The backup won’t prevent Google from snooping through your messages, but it does give you a measure of control over what could happen to your email when someone else is the caretaker.

BackUp Gmail works in the background and keeps your messages safely backed upon your Mac.

The app costs less than $2 and handles multiple Gmail accounts, and even has a restore setting. Email messages are stored in plain text and is mostly set it and forget it.

The Mac's Power Finder

Give your Mac's Finder new super powers, manage files and folders faster, control it all with Path Finder. Get full keyboard navigation in a Finder-like app with dual pane view, folder sync, and a long list of tools.

Death Of 'OMT'

About Wil Gomez

I live in Brooklyn, New York and work in Manhattan; a Mac owner for almost 25 years, and an IT specialist on mixed platforms-- Mac, Windows, and Linux. Read more of my articles here. My fiancée is semi-famous Kate MacKenzie. Follow her on PixoBebo.

Comments

The technology to connect is the same. I think Google gets more money selling information about business users than average folk.

Remember, with Google, you’re the product, not the customer.

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